J.D. Power: Airline satisfaction up despite economic headwinds
'Throughout our one-year study period, we've seen a slight decline in both ticket prices and passenger volume, which has helped keep overall passenger satisfaction levels high,' said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail, and customer service. 'But it's clear that market dynamics are changing and will likely affect passenger experience in the coming weeks and months. Airlines will likely have a tougher year this year, economically, but the key to their longer-term success will be how well they manage economic headwinds without compromising on customer experience.'
This year, fewer than one in ten passengers experienced problems, with most flyers citing that flight delays were the most common problem. Those who did not have any issues had a drastically higher level of trust with the airline, 150 points higher than those who did have an issue.
Airline staff also proved to be crucial to satisfaction, with a nine-point increase for those experiencing a positive experience while flying in economy/basic economy. Brand loyalty is also a major finding of the study, with those who described their air travel experience as 'perfect' saying that they 'definitely will' fly with that airline again.
This year's study showed that JetBlue Airlines has gained the most trust with flyers, and it now sits in second place across all segments, and first place in first/business class. Its most significant jump in satisfaction was in the Premium Economy and economy/basic economy segments, where it saw an increase of over 30 points in both categories.
This year is the second year using the 2024 redesigned study. The study measures a passenger's satisfaction based on performance in 7 core categories on a poor-to-perfect 6-point scale. The categories are: Airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, on-board experience, pre/post-flight experience, and value for price paid. The study collected results from 10,224 passengers from March 2024 through March 2025.
First/Business Class
This year, JetBlue Airways overtook Delta Air Lines, taking the top spot in customer satisfaction with a score of 738 out of a scale of 1,000 points for the First and Business class segment. Delta Air Lines fell to second with 724 points, after it beat out JetBlue in last year's study.
Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating [First/Business Class]:
JetBlue Airways (738)
Delta Air Lines (724)
Alaska Airlines (709)
United Airlines (690)
Air Canada (686)
American Airlines (684)
Premium Economy
For the premium economy segment, Delta Air Lines took first place for the third year in a row with 717 points, with JetBlue coming in second with 699 points.
Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating [Premium Economy Class]:
Delta Air Lines (717)
JetBlue Airways (699)
Alaska Airlines (691)
United Airlines (652)
American Airlines (650)
Air Canada (616)
WestJet (614)
Economy/Basic Economy Class
As for the economy and basic economy class, Southwest Airlines remains on top for a fourth consecutive year with 694 points, with JetBlue Airline in second place with 663 points.
Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating [Economy/Basic Economy]:
Southwest Airlines (685)
JetBlue Airways (663)
Delta Air Lines (662)
Alaska Airlines (645)
Allegiant Air (636)
United Airlines (603)
American Airlines (597)
Air Canada (561)
WestJet (537)
Spirit Airlines (526)
Frontier Airlines (520)
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